Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 658

Boom!

An Immortal, struck by a flash of blue light, crumbled to ashes and disappeared instantly.

“What... is that?” Cristina murmured, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Sabioleen Tana.

Cristina had never been one for fighting. As a bookworm, tales of battle held little interest for her. Yet, she wasn’t entirely without common sense.

Sabioleen Tana was renowned as the greatest swordsman on the continent, the strongest warrior anyone knew. But what Cristina was witnessing now was far beyond how she imagined a swordsman would fight.

Wooong!

The blue aura blades hovering around Sabioleen Tana were proof enough. They weren’t even shaped like traditional swords. Instead, they looked like solid, sharpened lengths of mana, and resembled mana “spears” more than anything else.

Since the start of the fight, Sabioleen Tana hadn’t drawn Tempesta, the Gale Sword, even once. She fought solely by throwing those aura blades, making her approach more akin to that of a mage.

Those who attained Mana Reinforcement could enhance their bodies with mana. If they could extend that power to their weapons, they were considered Master-class. Beyond that, those who could create aura weapons from mana alone, without the need for a physical weapon, were known as Grandmasters—a status achieved by only a few throughout human history.

That much was common knowledge, and Cristina knew it.

“Isn’t it strange?” Sabioleen Tana mused aloud, her gaze shifting from the Immortal she couldn’t easily approach to Cristina, who stood beyond it.

“It’s been decades since I reached the level known as Grandmaster...”

With a flick of her fingertips, a blue flash leapt forward, exploding against the Immortals attempting to attack her.

Bang!

Several pods and the Immortals in front of them vanished before they could even react.

“So why does everyone believe I haven’t advanced a single step beyond Grandmaster?”

Last winter, Ellen Artorius had challenged her to a duel. The fight had never taken place, leaving the outcome of who would win a mystery.

Yet the Sabioleen Tana Ellen Artorius imagined was worlds apart from the real Sabioleen Tana.

The real Sabioleen Tana was already far beyond the threshold of the Grandmaster level.

Decades had passed since she’d first achieved that rank, yet her body remained as vibrant as in her youthful prime.

The idea of staying content at that level for so long was far too complacent a feeling for her.

She was a woman who knew nothing but the sword. A woman who understood that the only thing she truly possessed was the sword at her waist.

Those moments.

Those years.

As the world’s strongest warrior, she had traversed countless battlefields since the Gate Incident, and realized anew the necessity of power. Since then she had dedicated herself once more to refining her skills.

She couldn’t remain the same as before.

Why would someone at the pinnacle choose to stay there? That would be both ignorance and arrogance. The one at the peak continued to climb, reaching yet another summit beyond the first.

The idea that someone could reach her with just a bit more effort was a grave misjudgment. No matter how hard those below struggled to break through and climb, the peak she had stood on decades ago no longer existed. She had ascended to an even more distant place.

Sabioleen Tana had become a being for whom the title of swordswoman felt inadequate.

She no longer needed a sword, and not just because she could create aura blades. She truly had no reason to wield a sword in battle. She had reached a level where all disciplines were interconnected.

Every warrior who charged at Sabioleen Tana and was pierced by a mana spear was a Master-class. Even beings of immense power vanished with just a single strike—or rather, a single burst of mana.

Her domination extended beyond Master-class swordsmen. The mental domination spells cast by great mages had no effect on her whatsoever.

Anti-magic training was a crucial part of a knight’s education. Therefore, it was only natural that any attempts at controlling her with magic would fail against Sabioleen Tana, the pinnacle of knights.

Neither sword nor magic could touch her.

Cristina gritted her teeth. “Yes... I know you’re strong. But whether you can handle them all is another matter, right?”

“...”

The full force of Immortals was assembled within that underground chamber, the force of Immortals that were supposed to be fighting in Diane. No matter how incredibly strong Sabioleen Tana was, some things were simply impossible.

Even though she was holding her ground for the moment, the fact remained that she was cornered. It was like a tiger surrounded by a pack of cats. If those cats could keep attacking until the tiger grew exhausted and collapsed, the tiger would eventually fall.

No matter how powerful Sabioleen Tana was, she was standing alone in the heart of enemy territory. Her inevitable defeat was only postponed, not prevented.

The only reason Sabioleen Tana could hold out now was because the battlefield itself was confined. It was an underground space, a laboratory where the Immortals were housed. Destroying the lab would threaten the very existence of the Immortals. They hesitated to escalate the fight, fearing the entire laboratory might be destroyed.

The space was cramped, and the Immortals struggled to attack effectively while trying to protect the lab. But no matter how much stronger Sabioleen Tana was compared to what anyone had anticipated, it didn’t change the fact that she had walked into a death trap.

Despite Cristina’s challenge, Sabioleen Tana summoned a few more aura spears, her expression resolute.

“That’s something we’ll find out by trying,” she declared.

Cristina could only grit her teeth at Sabioleen’s confidence, which bordered on arrogance.

***

Flash!

In an instant, Ludwig reappeared on the battlefield that was so distant just moments before.

There were no Immortals in sight.

“The monsters are coming!”

Ludwig watched the Allied Forces in disarray once their once-reliable allies disappeared. Panic spread like wildfire, and morale plummeted. The collapse of their defenses seemed inevitable.

While the Immortals played a crucial role, they weren’t the only fighting force. The Allied Forces could still fight without them. But the crumbling morale threatened to bring everything down like a line of dominoes.

Cristina had made a grave mistake. She hadn’t even attempted to find the right solution. Instead, she’d embarked on a reckless pursuit of revenge even while knowing it was wrong.

Ludwig slowly pulled a crystal vial from his pocket. With a deep breath, he uncorked it and drank the contents in one swift motion.

“Ugh...” he grimaced. The taste was unnaturally bitter, as if concocted by some twisted alchemist.

After swallowing the sedative, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, feeling the drool that had escaped.

Kurung!

Ludwig had no army to command. All he possessed was his own body. He couldn’t fill the void left by the Immortals on his own. But with a body that was stronger than before, he could achieve more than he ever had.

Still, the fact remained that all Ludwig had was his body. Amidst the chaos that reigned on the battlefield, which was filled with screams and roars, all Ludwig could do was slay the monsters before him, but it hardly influenced the war’s outcome.

Still, he fought.

Thud!

With a few powerful leaps, Ludwig plunged into the heart of the monster horde, wielding an aura sword forged from black mana in his right hand.

Whoosh!

With a single, decisive spinning slash, a torrent of dark energy swept away the surrounding creatures.

Ludwig could clearly hear the soldiers’ gasps of awe from afar as they witnessed his ominous yet overwhelming power. It had little impact on the outcome of the war, but in localized battles, Ludwig certainly played a crucial role.

A figure wielding a massive black aura sword waltzed through the battlefield with unwavering determination. Witnessing such an overwhelming presence, some chose not to flee but instead followed in its wake.

It hadn’t always been this way.

Cristina and the others had changed. The days when they could laugh and chat freely had faded, becoming distant memories. Some had turned into villains to be vanquished, while others became villains themselves in their quest to defeat them.

Ludwig, who had witnessed it all, found himself dreaming of his own darkness while claiming to pass judgment.

Those he loved had ventured to places where love could no longer reach them. Those who had survived had become beings unworthy of love. Now that everyone around him was being transformed into figures deserving of hatred, he found himself unable to love them, or even himself.

Yet, one thing remained unchanged.

He fought for the people. He fought to save others.

“Ugh...!”

Because he had never strayed from that unwavering path.

Because he couldn’t bring himself to turn away.

He fought on.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Enduring the searing pain in his right arm.

Resisting the chilling sensation of dark mana creeping into his body and mind.

“Ahhhhhhhh!”

Ludwig couldn’t bring himself to wipe the bloody tears that leaked from his eyes as he swung his sword with a primal scream.

He fought like a beast consumed by dark mana, a lost creature cutting through the monsters in its path.

***

The Immortals had departed from the battlefield, disappearing in the blink of an eye. By this juncture, the majority of the Allied Forces understood what the Immortals were, and even the skeptics recognized them as formidable allies.

But they had all vanished.

—Where... where have they gone?

Since the Immortals were first deployed, every battle strategy had revolved around them. Their power exceeded all expectations. Even those who knew the truth about the Immortals couldn’t deny their absolute necessity, despite any issues they had with the process of their creation.

All discussions and recriminations could wait. For the moment, the Immortals were essential. Because of this need, those who opposed them kept their silence. They knew it was something that should not have been done, but it had simply been too necessary.

The Allied Forces recognized the value of the Immortals, and relied heavily on them.

I felt the same way.

Gwooaar!

Boom!

I smashed a monster’s head with a mana-infused punch, but my eyes were fixed on the relentless wave of creatures flooding through the gaps left by the Immortals.

‘Was it really necessary?’

I had hoped they would have retained some semblance of reason. I understood their desire to kill me and punish those responsible for the Gate Incident.

But to suddenly abandon everyone like this? Did they really want me dead that badly? What could possibly justify going to such extremes?

The Immortals, who had been entrusted with so much, had led the Allied Forces to Diane and then vanished without a trace. With their sudden disappearance, the advancing army faltered, and awkwardly began to retreat.

With the thousands of Master-class fighters fighting in the vanguard now gone, and the overwhelming destructive magic once unleashed by the archmages in the rear suddenly ceasing, it was inevitable that the army would falter.

They were supposed to press forward, but now that the vanguard had abruptly disappeared, their hesitation was only natural. I gritted my teeth and pressed on, but ultimately, I was just one person. The front line was slowly being pushed back in areas I couldn’t reach.

Despite the growing confusion and a nauseating anger rising within me, I couldn’t stop.

The Immortals were gone. They had vanished.

—The vanguard is gone!

—Run away!

The cries of panicked soldiers echoed around me, but I couldn’t afford to lose my composure. Panic was a luxury I couldn’t indulge in; it was far too dangerous.

The Immortals were indeed a crucial part of humanity’s force. Yet, in the original story, the final battle had still been fought, even without the Immortals or Titan. Victory was still within reach. It was certainly possible.

Even so, the sudden disappearance of the Immortals shattered the army’s morale. Their absence alone led commanders and soldiers to jump to fearful conclusions.

—The army has abandoned us!

Broken morale spread like a contagious disease. A frightened army would drop their weapons and run.

Soldiers began to repeat the cries of their terrified comrades, like a haunting refrain.

But victory was still within reach.

Without the Immortals, the battle would be tougher, but not impossible. More lives would be lost, but it would not mean total annihilation. Success was achievable, even without the Immortals.

Though the Immortals had departed before the final battle, the impact of their past successes remained. The Allied Forces still had plenty of troops. They had shepherded humanity’s army this far, intact.

But the Immortals had become crucial to the Allied Forces, and their sudden disappearance felt like a deep betrayal. Morale had plummeted. If the front line began to falter, the rear would inevitably follow. And if the entire Allied Forces lost heart and crumbled, it would spell the end.

The Allied Forces were advancing, encircled by monsters. If they fell, they would be devoured and obliterated, with no rear to retreat to.

—The Emperor has abandoned us!

Somehow, the soldiers’ cries over the Immortals’ disappearance had morphed into a desperate accusation.

The Empire’s secret weapon, the Immortals, had vanished. To them, it meant only one thing: the Emperor had abandoned humanity.

Fear and terror spread through the Allied Forces, where more and more were already beginning to side with the Demon King. And so, as they fell back, some cried out that the Emperor had cast aside an army that was no longer his own.

But it wasn’t the Emperor. It wasn’t Vertus who had abandoned them.

Still, no amount of shouting the truth would matter. There were no persuading soldiers who, gripped by panic, were crying out whatever words of despair came to mind.

I had no time to be angry about the reckless decision to withdraw the Immortals. The harsh reality was that if the rest of the army retreated now, everything would be lost. Even though it was still possible to see things through, the panicked army was on the brink of self-destruction.

They had relied too heavily on the Immortals, and now the void left by their absence felt exponentially larger than the actual gap in strength.

—We’re all going to die!

—Run away!

But there was nowhere to run. Shouting about being surrounded was pointless.

Fear gripped everyone—lower-ranked soldiers, holy knights, and seasoned warriors alike. Panic spread like wildfire. If they retreated, chaos would ensue. They’d trip over each other, crushed by their own ranks. And if the wave of monsters washed over them, it would be the end.

Even though the thousand archmages had vanished, the battlefield still crackled with fire and lightning cast by the remaining mages and superhumans. The mighty Master-class warriors were gone, but the holy knights and superhumans continued to hold the front line.

Just as whispers of the Emperor’s betrayal began to sweep through the ranks, growing in force and throwing the Allied Forces into disarray, a thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield.

Kurururung!

The sky shattered.

Black cracks spread across the blue expanse. Not just one, but dozens.

They didn’t appear solely above the heads of the Allied Forces; they stretched across the entire battlefield.

Spiderweb fissures marred the sky, which looked like a broken mirror, casting shadows on the ground below.

“Ah...”

It was the sky. Everyone could see it.

Soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, while countless superhumans who were holding the line glanced back in uncertainty.

Mages gritted their teeth, casting spells from the rear while their eyes remained fixed upward.

A rain of meteors fell from the fractured sky.

They watched as the meteor shower rained down on the battlefield.

This was no ordinary celestial event; it was a spell that had left deep scars on everyone who witnessed it.

The day the sky opened... From that moment, everything had changed.

This meteor shower had become a foreboding spell for all of humanity.

—The Demon King...

People gazed upward in a trance, murmuring.

—It’s the Demon King’s magic!

The descending meteors had come to symbolize the Demon King’s power, a haunting reminder for all who remembered that fateful day.

For everyone who had witnessed it that day in the imperial capital, the meteor shower felt like a magical omen signaling the end.

—The Demon King’s magic is upon us!

Yet, the cries of those who watched the meteors—symbols of the Demon King—weren’t full of despair. Instead, they contained within them a glimmer of hope.

Bang! Boom! Crash!

The meteors rained down on the monsters, sparing the remnants of humanity.

“Yes...”

If there was anything to be done in this moment, amidst whispers of betrayal and escape... If there was anything to be done...

There was only one thing I could do.

I took off the helmet with the faceplate. Then, I reverted to my true form, one I rarely assumed. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A pair of horns.

An Archdemon.

In the guise of Baalier.

And I summoned them.

Woo-woong!

In my right hand, Tiamata. In my left hand, Alsbringer.

No words were needed. I just needed everyone to see.

I could no longer hide myself, the Demon King masquerading as a simple soldier.

—Oh, oh...

—Ah...

Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd as I removed my helmet, revealing my true form.

In my hands, I held two swords—one radiating a golden holy light, the other pulsing with blue mana.

Words were unnecessary.

With a resonant hum, the Flame of Tuesday surged to its limit, unleashing a torrent of fire that tore through the advancing monsters.

I ran.

Into the wave of monsters, I charged with all my might.

The golden Tiamata wasn’t strictly necessary, but its presence was reassuring.

Woo-woong!

Tiamata transformed, turning dark and unleashing a destructive force of decay that ripped monsters apart. Meanwhile, Alsbringer’s blade, coated in blue mana, shredded through them with ease.

The Flame of Tuesday blazed fiercely, burning the monsters in front of me and carving a path forward.

The whispers of the Emperor’s betrayal faded into the background.

“The Demon King...” someone murmured.

“The Demon King has appeared!” others began to shout, their voices rising in alarm.

The fact that humans could utter the words “Demon King” with such hope was, despite everything, oddly amusing.